The Obvious and The Code

Bellour’s article was particularly interesting and showed me aspects of Film I had not noticed before. It presented linkage between shots through code and narrative development. I found the concept of code as an important device in Films, that helps establish meaning. Code’s relationship to narrative in particular made me think. Most codes are not obviously narrative related but help in moving the film along. The narrative elements in film, work alongside codes to bring the story together. This symbiotic relationship is important for the particular scene in The Big Sleep. The Code helps the audience understand narration as it is integrated. I’m personally more able to understand the director’s intention by looking at how the various codes work together. This article has made different codes visible to me in The Big Sleep, as well as other films. I can now try to isolate code in a scene and feel it will better enhance my understanding of a film’s whole.